Where Coyotes Howl

Author: Sandra Dallas
Genre: Historical Fiction
Publisher: St. Martin's Publishing Group, 2023
Pages: 320
Rating: Highly Recommend

Synopsis: 1916: The two-street town of Wallace is not exactly what Ellen Webster had in mind when she accepted a teaching position in Wyoming, but within a year's time she's fallen in love - both with the High Plains and with a handsome cowboy named Charlie Bacon. Life is not easy in the flat, brown corner of the state where winter blizzards are unforgiving and summer heat relentless. But Ellen and Charlie face it all together, their relationship growing stronger with each shared success, and each deeply felt tragedy.

Ellen finds purpose in her work as a rancher's wife and in her bonds with other women settled on the prairie. Not all of them are so lucky as to have loving husbands, not all came to Wallace willingly, and not all of them can survive the cruel seasons. But they look out for each other, share their secrets, and help one another in times of need. And the needs are great and constant. The only city to speak of, Cheyenne, is miles away, making it akin to the Wild West in rural Wallace. In the end, it is not the trials Ellen and Charlie face together that make them remarkable, but their love for one another endures through it all.

Review: I had intended this to be my first book of 2024, and decided to get started on it early. I couldn't put it down. I stayed up until 1:15am to finish it. I cannot recommend this book enough. I tore my heart out, stomped on, stomped on it again, and again and again. And I loved it. This is a must-read for anyone who loves historical fiction, and especially for those of us who are fascinated with the West.

I would love a sequel, but there's nothing about the ending of this book that suggests there will be one.